Snow pusher



Dec. 11, 1956 HEMSATl-l ETAL, 2,773,318

SNOW PUSHER Filed Nov. 18, 1952 INVENTOR. EUGENE E. HEMSA'TH y HOWARD h. HEMSATH United States Patent SNOW PUSHER Eugene E. Hemsath, Cincinnati, and Howard H. Hemsath, Hamilton County, Ohio Application November 18, 1952, Serial No. 321,158

2 Claims. (Cl. 37--53) This invention relates to hand tools and more particularly to snow pushers. I

Removal of snow from sidewalks, driveways and other paved areas, is a task in which much physical effort is expended by many people during the winter months of each year. For older people such activity often results in serious, sometimes fatal overexertion.

An object of the invention is to provide a snow pusher for removing snow from driveways, sidewalks and the like, with a minimum expenditure of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a snow pusher which is of inexpensive, simple, sturdy, novel construction, and well suited to convenient handling in shipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snow pusher which when sliding across a paved surface, tends to vibrate thereby reducing the tendency of snow to stick to the snow engaging surfaces thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snow pusher which tends to glide over a paved surface without snagging in cracks, particularly joints therein, while removing substantially all of the snow thereon.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in perspective of a snow pusher embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the snow pusher shown in Fig. l; and,

Fig. 3 is a plan view reduced in size, of a blank, from which the pusher shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be made.

In Figure 1 of the drawing a snow pusher 1 is shown in perspective. The pusher comprises a snow engaging element 2 to which a handle 3 is secured by suitable means such as the screw bolts 4.

Snow engaging element 2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, includes a pair of triangular blades 5 which have ground engaging edges 6, trailing edges 7, and an upper edge 8. Blades 5 are joined together along edge 8 in symmetrical arrangement. Ground engaging edges 6 are coplanar, and meet each other and edge 8 at the lead point 9. From point 9, edges 6 extend in symmetric rearward diverging relation to intersect trailing edges 7 at 12, while edge 8 slopes upwardly and. rearwardly therefrom to apex 10 where it intersects the trailing edges 7. Blades 5 extend slantwise downward, outward and rearward from edge 8 to form an inclined inverted trough beneath edge 8.

A wing flange 11 is joined to each of the trailing edges 7 and extends upwardly therefrom. Wing flanges 11 are shown in the drawings as vertical, with upper edges 21 substantially parallel to their lower edges joined to trailing edges 7 and have vertical rear edges 22 extending upward from the trailing end of the ground engaging edge 6. A central flange or gusset plate 23 is disposed between and joined to the adjacent ends of flanges 11. Plate 23 is shown as being triangular in shape and secured to flanges 11 by means such as welds 24. Plate 23 and flanges 11 form a forwardly convex lip flange upstanding from the trailing edges of the blades 5.

A portion of a handle 3 is disposed in the trough formed by blades 5 and secured to the snow engaging element 2 by means such as screw bolts 4 which pass through edge 8. Handle 3 extends upwardly and rearwardly beyond the trailing edges of blades 5 to be easily grasped during use, when edges 6 rest upon the surface to be cleared.

The snow engaging element 2 may be made very easily, without resort to special tools, in the following manner. A square of suitable sheet metal is selected. The sides of the square should be approximately equal in length to the width of the path to be cleared. A blank as shown in Fig. 3 is formed by cutting along a line 25, spaced from and parallel to diagonal 26 of the square, detaching a triangular portion of metal, Cut 27 is made along the perpendicular bisector of diagonal 26 from the edge 25 to diagonal 26, to form tabs 11b. The blank is then folded along line 26 raising tabs 11!: until they and areas 5b include an angle of approximately degrees. Areas 512 are then placed in substantially perpendicular relation by folding the blank along line 812, thereby spreading edges 27 of tabs 11b to form a substantially triangular gap which may be closed by means of a central or gusset plate 23 welded to tabs 11!: adjacent their edges 27. Tabs 11b become wing or deflector flanges 11.

Thin sheet metal may be used in making the snow engaging element 2 as the folded and flanged member has exceptional strength. Use of thin sheet metal makes for a lighter tool, which can be shipped more economically.

In use, the snow pusher is pushed forward by the handle. Snow raised by blade 5 slides laterally down blades 5 while passing toward wing flanges 11. Blades 5 and flanges 11 cooperate to force the snow to the side. A wider path may be cleared by means of additional sweeps in which one side of the element 2, one blade 5, and one flange 11, engage the snow.

The tendency of snow to adhere to the blades 5 and flanges 11, is greatly reduced by vibration set up therein by the cooperation of edges 6 with the surface being cleared. The cooperation results in a chattering vibration of edges 6 even on smoothly finished concrete areas such as sidewalks, driveways and the like, and these vibrations are transmitted throughout the member.

The edges 6 rest on the surface being cleared and thus substantially all of the snow is removed. The edges 6 extend rearwardly as well as laterally and this broad base tends to eliminate the snagging or digging in of the blades in pits, cracks and joints in concrete, black top, or other hard surfaced paving.

Having described the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications and changes may be made in the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

Therefore what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A snow pusher comprising a pair of triangular snowengaging blades meeting symmetrically and perpendicularly in a common inclined dividing edge, there being a lead point on said dividing edge at the ground-engaging end thereof, each blade having a ground-engaging edge extending laterally and rearwardly from the lead point, each blade having a third edge inclined upwardly from the trailing end of the ground-engaging edge and extending to the end of the dividing edge remote from the lead point, a pair of wing flanges substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ground-engaging edges: of the blades, each of said wing flanges extending upwardly from the trailing edge of one of said blades, a central flange plate disposed between the adjacent edges of said wing flanges and secured thereto, whereby a continuous upwardly projecting flange is formed extending between the rear ends of the ground-engaging edges, a handle, a portion of said handle adjacent one end thereof being disposed in the inverted trough formed by said blades, beneath and extending parallel to the dividing edge, and securing means urging said handle toward said dividing edge, the blades and plates being adapted to vibrate when the lower edges of the blades are advanced over the surface to dislodge snow therefrom.

2. A snow pusher comprising a pair of triangular snowengaging blades meeting symmetrically and perpendicularly in a common inclined dividing edge, there being a lead point on. said dividing edge at the ground-engaging end thereof, each blade having a ground-engaging edge extending laterally and rearwardly from the lead point, each blade having a third edge inclined upwardly from the trailing end of the ground-engaging edge and extending to the end of the dividingtedge remote from the lead point, said dividing edge being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the lead point to the point of intersection with the third edge of each blade, said point of interupwardly from the trailing edge of one of said blades,

a central flange plate inclined more steeply than the dividing edge and disposed between the adjacent edges of said wing flanges and secured thereto, said wing flanges extending downwardly, rearwardly, and outwardly from said central flange plate, whereby a continuous upwardly projecting flange is formed extending between the rear ends of the ground-engaging edges, a handle, a portion of said handle adjacent one end thereof being disposed in the inverted trough formed by said blades, beneath and extending parallel to the dividing edge, and securing means urging said handle toward said dividing edge, the blades and plates being adapted to vibrate when the lower edges of the blades are advanced over the surface to dislodge snow therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,656 Franz Aug. 4, 1885 768,923 Wiedersheim Aug. 30, 1904 1,101,149 Schoener June 23, 1914 1,511,072 Baumann Oct. 7, 1924 1,518,685 Berczik Dec. 9, 1924 1,561,651 Lavell Nov. 17, 1925 1,653,118 Pellet'te Dec. 20, 1927 1,872,082 Hedberg Aug. 16, 1932 1,891,046 Gettleman Dec. 13, 1932 1,929,548 Frink Oct. 10, 1933 

